New Delhi/Kochi , April 25: Twenty-three people on board an Emirates flight from Dubai to Kochi suffered injuries on Sunday morning when the aircraft hit a “weather cloud” at 35,000 feet over the Arabian Sea about 200 nautical miles west of Bengaluru. The injured included 20 passengers and three crew members.

Turbulence hit the aircraft (Flight EK-530) which had a total of 364 people on board, including 350 passengers, but they had a narrow escape. The aircraft managed to land safely at Kochi at 8.52 am. The DGCA has ordered an inquiry, and directed that the aircraft will not leave India till a detailed check is conducted and it is certified as safe for travel.

Emirates said the aircraft had a drop of about 200 feet after it ran into the weather cloud. The airline refuted reports that the fall in altitude had been to the tune of several thousand feet. Emirates said in a statement: “EK530 from Dubai to Kochi was cruising at 35,000ft when the flight experienced a short period of heavy turbulence. The aircraft encountered a weather cloud near Bengaluru over the Chennai-Mumbai flight information region. The drop in altitude was minor — a descent of 200 ft. There were 350 passengers on board the flight, 20 of whom suffered minor injuries. The flight landed safely in Kochi and the captain requested medical support to meet the aircraft. All affected passengers were treated and have now been released. Passengers booked on the return flight — EK531 — will be delayed as the aircraft, in accordance with regulatory requirements following turbulence, undergoes checks.”

Government sources said air traffic control was intimated about the incident only when the aircraft was approaching for landing. The DGCA is expected to ascertain the version of the injured passengers, the cabin crew and the pilots. Pilots whom this newspaper spoke to said that thunderstorm clouds, referred to as Cumulo Nimbus clouds, have the potential to drag aircraft down by thousands of feet and can be potentially dangerous to aircraft. “Pilots should ensure that aircraft do not enter these clouds, and if it does, should exit as quickly as possible to avoid disaster. In this case, it is fortunate that the pilot managed to land safely,” said a pilot of an Indian carrier. The DGCA probe will also examine the role of the pilots and their handling of the situation.

Terming it a “serious” incident, the United Arab Emirates’ General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said in Dubai on Sunday that it had also launched an investigation and was coordinating with the Indian civil aviation authorities.

Agency reports from Kochi quoted a passenger, who was travelling with his family, as saying: “Oxygen masks came down. We all got scared. This is like a rebirth. Many passengers fell down from their seats.”

According to reports, one of the passengers, Biju Thomas, 40, was admitted to Little Flower hospital at nearby Angamally with a shoulder dislocation. About seven passengers were brought to the Amrita medical investigation room at the airport. Some had injuries on the scalp, eyebrows, pain in the neck and shoulders. Reports from Kochi, citing sources, said a doctor identified as one Dr Rahul Thambi went inside the aircraft and gave first aid to 20 passengers. One of those on board, Elsy Antony, 40, received stitches for an eyebrow injury, while Tina Shilby, 26, suffered a scalp wound. A pregnant woman on board complained of giddiness.

Most of the passengers were discharged, S.N. Nair, another doctor on duty, was cited as saying. Reports from Kochi also said that one Flavio Moreira, 41, from Barbados, who complained of some pain in the shoulder, was advised to get an X-ray done, while her friend Lourival Augusto do Santos, 45, said he had a pain in the neck and chest.

Age Correspondent with agency inputs